St. Landry democrat., 1887-10-22
JOHN b. FINCH GONE.
The Great Prohibition Leader Drops Dead
in Il Boston Depot.

John B. Finch, chairman of the ma
tional committee Of the Prohibition
party and head of the worldwide Order
of Good Templars, fell dead in the
Eastern depot, at Boston He lectured
at Lynn in the evening, but did not
seem in his usual spirits From Lynn
he came direct to Boston. Stepping
from the car to the platform, he had not
taken a dozen steps before he drop ped.
Medical Examiner Stedman was sum-
moned and pronounced his death to be
the result of heart disease.
John B. Finch was born in Chenango
county, n. Y, March Il, 1852 He was,
therefore, only little more than thirty
five and a-half years old at his death, His
father was of English extraction and his
mother of South of France parentage.
His maternal grandfather was dissipated
man, and was killed by being thrown
out of carriage while intoxicated. His
mother taught him to hate drink, and he
was always total abstainer. His warm
temperament he probably derived from
his mother
He had a common-school, classical and
legal education His earliest work was
as teacher at one time he was princi-
pal of the Union School at SMYRNA, n. Y.
He was graduated from Harvard College.
He went into the Good Templar work
early in life. Just before 1876 he was
State lecturer of the Good Templars in
Illinois, but was hampered by the
jealousy of some of the members. In
1876 he settled at Lincoln Neb.. and
there devoted himself to Good Templar
work, for several years being head
of the Nebraska Grand Lodge of that
order Prohibition was not then so gen.
orally agreed upon by temperance people
as it is now. He actively engaged in the
high license movement, being consulted
by members of the Legislature as one of
the leaders of that policy. To his exer-
lions chiefly the enactment of the Ne
braska $1,000 license law was due.
Hedged around with many restrictive
and prohibitory provisions, this law is
regarded as the nearest approach to
prohibitory measure that high license
statute can be. Yet Mr. Finch wit
messed it's utter failure and lamented the
part he had in its establishment.
In politics he was originally Demo
crat. He became power in the FROM
bition party as soon as he entered 1t. lie
was made chairman of the national com
mittee and national executive commit
tee of the party in 1884, and held both
places until his death For three sue
cesive terms he was elected right worthy
grand templar of the Right worthy
Grand Lodge, |. 0. G. T.; and upon the
union of the two branches of the oruer
last May he was unanimously electeu
head of the united order.
Mr.. Finch married Miss Frances H.
Manchester, of Cortland, n. Y, who was
prominent in the W. {. T. U. Mts'
Finch is a lady of capital business apll-
ity, and has materially aided her nus
band by attending to his business aiiails'
neglected by him through stress OF pro
hibition labor. His wife and one chllo'
John, survive Mr.. Finch.
He took part in every great callpalsn
for the Prohibition party during recol
wears, and was the strong right arm Va
every movement for winning cons'i'u-
tional or local prohibition when ne
entered Since the death OF Johh d.
Cough, Finch has been everywhere con
sidered the foremost platform orator iol
temperance and prohibition IN America
Some of his most successful PLATFORM
service for temperance was as heo
Ribbon orator For sixty-tWo SUCCESSIVE
nights, in 1877, he addressed crowded
~, no Mob